Razor blade sharpener



Get. 20, 1964 a. E. DIETZE RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed Jan. 5, 1962uvmvroa. fw-

United States Patent ice 3,153,307 RAZGR BLADE SHARPENER George E.Dietze, 1942 Lakeside Drive, Erie, Pa. Filed Jan. 5, 1962, Ser. No.164,527 6 Claims. ((11. 51-205) M This invention is a sharpener forsafety razors which can be used on existing razors and which does notrequire removal of the blade for sharpening. The sharpener is merelyplaced on the cap plate of the razor and moved longitudinally of theblade edge after the sharpening elements have been moved into engagementwith the upper and lower sides of the blade edge. Only two or threestrokes of the sharpener are required so that the sharpen ing operationis .completed in less time than changing blades, i

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an end elevation of the sharpener mounted on aGillette type safety razor, FIG. 2 is a bottom plan of the sharpener,FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the sharpening elementsin position, FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end view illustrating thesharpening action, and FIG. 5 is a section through one of the plungers.

The sharpener can be made for any safety razor, single edge or doubleedge. The particular sharpener shown is for the Gillette type razorwhich comprises a head 1, a

cap plate 2, and a handle 3 for tightening the cap plate against theblade 4 and positioning the cutting edges 40: of the blade in shavingrelation to the underlying guard 5. The particular shaver shown has anadjustment 6 which moves the guard 5 up and down relative to the cuttingedges 4a to vary the closeness of the shave. The sharpener, however, isnotlimited to the particular Gillette type razor illustrta'ed, but isapplicable to all Gillette type razors, even the old style three piecemodels where the cap plate 2 is made in one piece. Since Gillette typerazors are well known, the construction need not be described further.

The sharpener is used with the blade mounted in shaving position in therazor. No adjustment of the razor is necessra'y. Whenever it isdiscovered that the blade is dull, both edges may be quickl sharpened bytwo or three strokes without removing the blade from the razor. Theentire sharpening operation requires less time than changing blades.

The sharpener has a frame 7 eonv'eniently made as a casting with anarcuate underside 8 which fits over the cap plate 2. Fixed to the frameat opposite edges of the underside of the frame are blocks 9a havinggrooves or guides 9 which slidably ride on the outer edges 10 of the capplate. The purpose of the grooves 9 is to position the sharpener. Sincethe outer edges 19 of the cap plates are of fixed and standarddimensions, the edges 10 and the adjacent upper surface 11 of the capplate serves as an accurate guide for the sharpener holding it in fusedrelation to the cutting edges 4a. The grooves 9 provide an easy slidingfit so that the sharpenermay he slid lengthwise back and forth over thecap plate. On opposite sides of the sharpener frame are plungers 12,having finger pieces 13 at the outer ends and having the inner endsengaging opposite ends of a coil spring 14 and urging the plungersoutward. The coil spring 14 fits in a groove 15 on the under side of thesharpener frame and the opposite ends enter sockets 16 and urge theplungers outward. In the outer position of the plungers, wedge shapedsharpening members 17 fixed to the under sides of the finger pieces 13are spaced outward away from the edges 44: of the blade so there is nocontact with the cutting edges when the sharpener is mounted on the capplate 2. The plungers 12 and the sockets 16 are provided withcomplementary keying means 18, preventing turning of the plungersrelative to the sharpener frame so that the sharp- V air ess? PatentedGet. 29, 1964 ening members 17 are held strictly parallel to the underside of the blade edges. The sockets 16 and the plungers 12 are providedwith suitable stops (not shown), limiting the movement of the plungersin both directions.

The sharpening action is illustrated in FIG. 4 which is a highlymagnified fragmentary end view. As there shown, the blade 4 is clampedagainst the under side of the cap plate 2 which is slidably received ingrooves 9 in blocks 9a onthe sharpener. The blade has a roughlysharpened section 20 having upper and lower sides 21, 22 which include asmall acute angle and a finely sharpened section 23 having upper andlower sides 24, 25 which include a larger acute angle. The intersectionof the sides 24 and 25 provides the cutting edge 4a. In all Gillettetype razors, the sides 24 and 25 which define the cutting edge 4a are infixed relation to the edge 19 of the cap plate 2 on which the sharpeneris guided. When the sharpener is mounted on the cap plate, the smoothunder surfaces 27 of the blocks 9a match the upper sides 24 of the bladeedges. When the plungers 12 are moved inward, the smooth upper surfaces28- of the sharpening elements 17 match the lower sides 25 of the bladeedges. In order to insure contact between the blade edge 4a and thesides 27 and 28, the included angle between the sharpening surfaces 27and 28 is slightly greater than the included angle between the sides 24and 25. This insures contact at the edges 4a. The blocks 9a and thesharpening elements 17 are in staggered relation so that eachcomplements the other in supporting the blade edges. The surfaces 27 ofthe blocks 9a rest lightly on the upper side of the blade edge while thesurfaces 28 of the sharpening elements 17 engage lightly the lower sideof the blade edge and as the sharpener is moved back and forthlengthwise of the cap plate 2, the surfaces 24 and 25 of the blade edge4a are brought into sharpened relation with a honing or stroppingaction. Any material suitable for sharpening may be used for'the blocks9a and sharpening members 17. The surfaces 27 and 28 should be hardenough to hone the surfaces 24 and 25 of the blade edges. Hardened steelis a suitable material. Glass or a time abrasive is also suitable,although somewhat more difiicult to mount on the sharpener. 7

When it is discovered that the blade edges require sharpening, thesharpener is mounted on the cap plate 2 of the razor and the plungers 12are moved inward by pressure exerted on the finger pieces 13. This movesthe sharpening elements 17 between the guard 5 of the razor and theunder side of the blade edges and establishes the cooperative engagementwith the blade edges and the surfaces 27 and 28 so that as the sharpeneris moved back and forth along the cap plate two or three times, theoriginal sharpness of the blade edges is restored. The sharpener may beused at any time, even during shaving and the entire sharpeningoperation from start to finish requires less time than changing blades.

The sharpener shown fits all Gillette type razors. Other sharpeners canbe made to accommodate any other type of razor having a blade heldagainst the under side of a cap plate and with a cutting edge spacedabove a guard.

If the sharpening elements 17 are omitted, surfaces 27 will sharpen theupper side of the cutting edge 4a. This provides adequate sharpeningalthough it may be neces sary to turn the blade over after several daysof sharpening only the upper side of the cutting edge.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A sharpener for sharpening a safety razor blade while mounted on asafety razor having a cap plate with a longitudinal edge engaging theupper side of the blade inward of the cutting edge and a guard spacedbelow the lower side of the cutting edge comprising, a frame having aguide slidably engaging said longitudinal edge of the cap plate andguiding the frame for movement along said longitudinal edge, said framehaving thereon a downwardly presented sharpening surface engaging theupper side of the cutting edge, a sharpening element mounted on theframe for movement relative to the frame from an outer position clearingthe cutting edge to an inner position extending between the guard andthe under side of the blade and having an upwardly presented sharpeningsurface in staggered relation to said downwardly presented sharpeningsurface and engaging the under side of the cutting edge, said surfaceshoning the cutting edge as the frame is slid back and forth along thelongitudinal edge of the cap plate.

2. The construction of claim 1 in which the razor blade is double edgedwith the cap plate having two longitudinal edges respectively spacedinward from one and the other of the edges of the blade and thesharpener frame has two guides respectively slidably engaging one andthe other of the edges of the cap plate and the downwardly presentedsurfaces on the frame and sharpening elements are duplicated to sharpenboth edges of the blade. 7

3 A sharpener for safety razors having a cap plate with a longitudinaledge engaging the upper side of the blade inward of the cutting edge anda guard spaced below and underlying the cutting edge comprising a frameremovably mounted on the cap plate and having a guideway complementaryto said longitudinal edge of the cap plate, longitudinally spacedsharpening elements on the frame having downwardly presented surfacesengaging the upper side of the cutting edge, a plunger in the framecarrying at its inner end a sharpening element receivable between theblade and guard and between the sharpening elements on the frame andhaving an upwardly presented surface engaging the lower side of thecutting edge, said surfaces conforming with the cutting edge and honingit as the frame is slid back and forth along the cap plate.

4. A sharpener for double edge safety razors having a cap plate withspaced longitudinal edges engaging the upper side of the blade inward ofthe cutting edges and a guard spaced below and underlying the cuttingedges comprising, a frame removably mounted on the cap plate and havingguideways complementary to the longitudinal edges of the cap plate,sharpening elements on opposite sides of the frame having downwardlypresented surfaces respectively engaging the upper side of each of thecutting edges, plungers on opposite sides of the frame each carrying atits inner end a sharpening element for associa tion with the cuttingedge on its side of the frame and receivable between the blade and guardand having an upper surface engaging the lower side of the associatedcutting edge, said surfaces conforming with the cutting edge and honingit as the frame is slid back and forth along the cap plate.

5. A sharpener for double edge safety razors having a cap plate withspaced longitudinal edges engaging the upper side of the blade inward ofthe cutting edges and a guard spaced below and underlying the cuttingedges comprising, a frame removably mounted on the cap plate and havinglongitudinally spaced blocks over each of the longitudinal edges of thecap plate, the blocks having guideways complementary to the underlyinglongitudinal edges of the cap plate and having a downwardly presentedsurface engaging the upper side of the cutting edges, plungers inopposite sides of the frame each carrying at its inner end a sharpeningelement, spring means biasing the plungers outward to a position inwhich the sharpening elements clear the cutting edges of the blade, theplungers beingmovable inward to a position, said downward and upwardlypresented surfaces being in staggered relation to said downwardlypresented surface and engaging the under side'of the cutting edge, saidsurfaces honing the cutting edge as the frame is slid back and forthalong the longitudinal edge of the cap plate.

6. A sharpener for safety razors having a cap plate with a longitudinaledge engaging the upper side of the blade inward of the cutting edge anda guard spaced below the lower side of the cutting edge comprising, aframe, a sharpening member on the frame having a guideway riding on thelongitudinal edge of the cap plate and having a downwardly presentedsurface engaging the upper side of the cutting edge, a plunger guided inthe frame and having on its inner end a sharpening element, spring meansbiasing the plunger to an outer position in which the sharpening elementclears the cutting edge, a finger piece on the outer end of the plungerfor moving it inwardly to a position in which the sharpening elementextends between the guard and the under side of the blade, saidsharpening element having an upwardly presented surface engaging theunder side of the cutting edge, said surfaces honing the cutting edge asthe frame is slid back and forth along the cap plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SHARPENER FOR SHARPENING A SAFETY RAZOR BLADE WHILE MOUNTED ON ASAFETY RAZOR HAVING A CAP PLATE WITH A LONGITUDINAL EDGE ENGAGING THEUPPER SIDE OF THE BLADE INWARD OF THE CUTTING EDGE AND A GUARD SPACEDBELOW THE LOWER SIDE OF THE CUTTING EDGE COMPRISING, A FRAME HAVING AGUIDE SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE CAP PLATE ANDGUIDING THE FRAME FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE, SAID FRAMEHAVING THEREON A DOWNWARDLY PRESENTED SHARPENING SURFACE ENGAGING THEUPPER SIDE OF THE CUTTING EDGE, A SHARPENING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON THEFRAME FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE FRAME FROM AN OUTER POSITION CLEARINGTHE CUTTING EDGE TO AN INNER POSITION EXTENDING BETWEEN THE GUARD ANDTHE UNDER SIDE OF THE BLADE AND HAVING AN UPWARDLY PRESENTED SHARPENINGSURFACE IN STAGGERED RELATION TO SAID DOWNWARDLY PRESENTED SHARPENINGSURFACE AND ENGAGING THE UNDER SIDE OF THE CUTTING EDGE, SAID SURFACESHONING THE CUTTING EDGE AS THE FRAME IS SLID BACK AND FORTH ALONG THELONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE CAP PLATE.